Apply for an Alt-Textbook Grant
The Alt-Textbook Project grant application cycle is open!
The Alt-Textbook Project offers six grants to NC State University teaching faculty and Extension agents. Please submit your application by Monday, November 23, 2026. We expect to notify submitters before December 4, 2026.
Learn more about eligibility, proposal evaluation, and funding policies
Interested in applying? Explore and apply for available grant opportunities below.
Available Grants:
- Review an Open Textbook
Find an open textbook that would be appropriate for your class or work with Cooperative Extension, and write a review. Reviews must genuinely reflect human perspectives, opinions, and experiences. The review must be written without any AI-generated or other artificially generated content. Recipients of this award are ineligible for repeat consideration.
Awardee commitments
- Post your review on the Open Textbook Library, which will be publicly available.
Funding Level
$200
- Open Pedagogy
Open Pedagogy grants are designed to support innovative teaching and learning. These grants help you go beyond traditional assignments by incorporating OERs, creating renewable assignments where your students actively contribute towards real-world knowledge, resources, or community projects.
Awardee commitments
- Deposit their resource into the UNC System OER Hub, hosted through OER Commons, if applicable.
Funding Level
$1000-$2000. Final award amounts will reflect the scope, impact, and feasibility of the proposed work, as assessed through the application and review process.
- Adapt/Adopt/Create an Open Textbook
This grant supports the use of an open textbook in the classroom or Extension opportunities. The textbook can be adopted as-is, remixed (rearranged, edited, or combined with other materials), or written from scratch to better fit class topics and presentation order. The textbook must be the required textbook OR there must be no required textbook for the class.
Awardee commitments
- Use the resource for at least three semesters
- Use an open Creative Commons license for the resource
- Deposit their resource into the UNC System OER Hub, hosted through OER Commons
Funding Level
$1000-$3000. Final award amounts will reflect the scope, impact, and feasibility of the proposed work, as assessed through the application and review process.
- Department/Group Adoption
This grant supports the use of an open textbook by multiple instructors in multiple classes. A maximum of 3 instructors can adapt or create an open textbook for two or more classes. The textbook can be adopted as-is, remixed (rearranged, edited, or combined with other materials), or written from scratch to better fit class topics and presentation order. The textbook(s) must be the required textbook(s) for each class OR there must be no required textbook(s) for those classes.
Awardee commitments
- Use the resource for at least three semesters
- Use an open Creative Commons license for the resource
- Utilize the resource in at least two courses
- Deposit their resource into the UNC System OER Hub, hosted through OER Commons
Funding Level
$5000-$7500. Final award amounts will reflect the scope, impact, and feasibility of the proposed work, as assessed through the application and review process.
- Enhancement Grant
Available exclusively to past recipients of our Alt-Textbook grants, the Enhancement Grant supports follow-up projects that expand, refine, or build on previous work. This grant is designed to help you deepen the impact of your original project and continue advancing open education in your teaching.
Awardee commitments
- Continue to use the resource for at least three semesters
- Continue to use an open Creative Commons license for the resource
- Deposit an updated version of the resource into the UNC System OER Hub, hosted through OER Commons, if applicable
Funding Level
$750
- Community Pressbook Grant
This grant is available exclusively to past participants in one of the Libraries’ open education initiatives, such as the Alt-Textbook Project, the Open Pedagogy PIT STOP Program, or the Open Pedagogy Incubator. This grant supports contributions to Approaches to Open Pedagogy: A Guide for Practitioners, hosted through Pressbooks, that invites faculty to write about their experiences with open education: motivations, lessons learned, and advice for faculty interested in getting involved.
Awardee commitments
- Use the resource for at least three semesters
- Abide by the contribution guidelines outlined in the Pressbook
Funding Level
$400
Want to make your Alt-Textbook Grant proposal more compelling?
If you want to make sure your proposal stands out, you can: